Welcome to the Record Report
Welcome to The Record Report…
Turntable City’s periodical journal of all thing’s music and more. This blog (also known as The Vocal Booth) actually started as our weekly music review column years ago for the City of Columbia Paper. Check out this early article from back in 2009. What can you expect? Real insight into what keeps us going. The great, good, bad, and worse. Transparency is a buzz word, but a lot of times, no context is given. We aim to document our journey and hopefully energize and galvanize like-minded people to stay dedicated to their goals. You will get a range of things with The Record Report. Interviews, Album Reviews, Insights, Celebrations, Testimonials, and more. If you have not signed up to our mailing list, this is your opportunity. This past Record Store Day was a huge eye opener and sparked our urge to get back to not only making, selling, and more, but also writing about what really matters, the music. Before we get into that, let’s catch up on all things Turntable City.
Wow!! It’s been a ride. We closed our brick and mortar back in July of 2023, gone online only since (www.turntable-city.com for reminder), and have had a few starts and stops ever since in securing a bigger space. Running a business is a large task when money is small. Throw in some Husband, Father, Career duties, sprinkle in some needed personal development, and you will realize just how humbling life can be. We all should have a great outlook on our lives, but more times than often, what we think doesn’t equal out to what we see or even can do, you got to keep moving on though. Your time is coming.
Check out this old article from back in 2023 (shout to Lexington Chronicle/Jordan Lawrence for the support)
Here's the good. Since closing my storefront, I’ve been able to spend way more time with my wife and kids. This has been a blessing since my kids are now preteens with puberty fostering and me and the Queen have had more time for each other (dates and more included).
Turntable City Clan…
Along with being a FULL TIME HUSBAND & FATHER and running Turntable City, I’m also an author/publisher (Keep God First Publications) and have been catching up on and finalizing projects, books and more that will now finally see the light. Oh yeah, I am also a DJ and I HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN WORKING…
DJ KINGPIN-VILLAIN OF VINYL (www.djkingpinvov.com)
The Villain Of Vinyl with a Man like myself….Rest Peacefully Sudan Toure
…Shows, Mixtapes, Instrumental Beat Tapes, Remixes, and more have kept me busy. Check out some highlights from 2025 so far…
Here’s the bad…
Cashflow since not having to pay a monthly rent bill has been a lot more fluid, but as we know, the money game is meant to be sold, not told. This is where things get sticky. Home ownership responsibilities aka home upgrades/repairs have been pushed to the forefront and you really, and I mean REALLY realize how much money you DON’T have when it comes to home ownership. Since closing the shop and finding a bigger space, here’s a small inkling of some of the repairs and upgrades that have happened at my house…
HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning)
Garage Drywall/Door Repair
Window Replacement
Kitchen Appliances Upgrade
Bathroom Repair
…and SOOOO MUCH MORE. Simply added up this has been OVER $40,000 (NOT including materials, labor, taxes, additional supplies, clean up, and more out of my pocket). SHEESH!!!
This is a rough average and IT DOES NOT include monthly utilities like lights, water, internet/cable, car/auto repairs, mortgage, insurance, phone, and more. Let’s not even talk about the requirements for school age children when it comes to academics, clothing, sports, recitals, field trips, lunch balances, physicals, FOOD, and more.
Tired Black Man…
Reading this should tell you that by now, my little teaching salary money has been tight, and my credit is past the distressing stage. My day job is in Education, so yes that money is stable and has blessed me in more ways than one, but that money is on LIMITED AND ON BORROWED TIME. I’m 20 Years in and closer to retirement than ever. The goal is always family first, but sometimes you must realize that you are not the same today as you were yesterday and you must put YOURSELF first.
“Fat titties turn to teardrops as fat ass turns to flab
Sores that was open wounds eventually turn to scab
Trees bright and green turn yellow-brown
Autumn caught ‘em, see all them leaves must fall down, growin’ old...”
Turntable City is NOW and that foundation is laid and prepared for what’s to come.
I have visited a few spaces that were on the span of what I’m looking for since closing but had to pass on signing papers because of my previously stated responsibilities. I love the downtown Lexington area, and this is where I’m going to be. Some of these spaces hit all the checkmarks, some didn’t. Some spaces were already occupied, but became recently available, and I had to pass on them because of timing. No worries, I’m patient and a firm believer in everything in due time will come your way as long as you keep working and staying ready.
We still are active in the #VinylCommunity and still rolling with trade shows, pop up shops, online activity from our site, and many private events. We have had the great pleasure of being apart of the FAMS COALITION and this camaraderie has helped more than you know with all the wisdom, affirmations, opportunities, and kinship.
Forever a Music Store (FAMS) is a collective of independently black owned record stores throughout the country. Visit www.famscoalition.com and check out the good folks throughout the country.
This is why I hit the streets on this past Record Store Day, got to get that fix (I sound like a drug addict). Sam Cooke once sung that you got too ‘Keep Moving On’, for me this means keep putting in the work and planting seeds. Remember that you reap what you sow. Keep pushing and prepping. Keep moving forward towards your goal. My goal you ask? To make Turntable City undeniably successful and a monument within the Lexington, South Carolina community.
I got up extra extra early that morning to make sure I got a great spot in line at my former college place of employment, Papa Jazz Record Shoppe (Yes I used to work here decades ago and it played a huge role in me even starting TTC)
A lifetime ago when I used to work at Papa Jazz Record Shoppe (5 Points). Been remodeled since this pic. Still love this spot and definitely stop by from time to time to reminisce. Shouts to everybody past & present. Tim Smith Whattup…GO KNICKS!!!
I knew based on the time that I got out there I would be close to the front of the line but trust me I was seriously wrong. Surprised and regretting about my time of arrival, I had to be almost the 112th person in line.
Record Store Day 2025
Let me pause and drop this disclaimer right here…
I am a music fan first and have been collecting vinyl since a young brother in Harlem, New York, so when I go shopping, I am always looking to add to my collection prior to everything else. This is how I got into deejaying, and that love of digging has never stopped. I have recently been sleeving, tweaking, and trimming the fat on my personal collection, so my mind has been racing as to what I really need to make it better, and this was my mindset that morning. As for Turntable City, a lot of the titles that we stock are combinations of doubles of what I currently own, titles that I find out in the wild, or specific titles that are necessary for EVERY RECORD STORE, as well as titles that really make us unique from other stores that exist. Some stores focus on Rock, some on Pop, others on Jazz, but we focus on MUSIC. We try to stock every genre that people like which led to a lack of space and eventually our decision to find someplace bigger to accommodate this ever growing collection. Music is a part of EVERYONE, so we got to be accommodating.
There was only one title that I was really looking forward to on RSD and that was Craig Mack’s Project Funk Da World (although there was a ton that were available this go round). I will be the first to admit that I was disappointed with the actual overall pressing with it. Although it had original cover art and a pretty maroon color vinyl, please tell me why was it pressed out of track list order??? Songs that should have came towards the end of the album are now in the beginning, missing interludes, and lack of any type of swag (stickers, production/album inserts, download cards), had me hot when I put it on my turntable once I made it home. Also, this album really deserved a double vinyl gatefold reissue with updated photos and some extra alternative tracks and remixes that were released when this album dropped in 1994 out of respect for Craig Mack’s legacy. He has unfortunately passed and deserved better treatment when he was with us. Check out this small sample of his story. Here’s some examples of the dropped balls that should have made this reissue…
Not to mention that this album was the very first album on the now infamous Bad Boy Records. Produced mostly by Easy Mo Bee, Craig Mack and others, this is one that all Hip Hop lovers should have in their collection.
Safe to say that I was disappointed with this one, but Mothership Connection by Parliament made up for it. Never heard it??? Check it out below…
Anyways, RSD 2025 was one for the books. There were so many people out and so many people taking pics with each other, trading and holding spots, posting, laughing, and conversing about this record and about that record. People were having extremely heartfelt conversations about their favorite albums, government, tariffs, new bands and a few old ones that they were excited to check out, and of course a few had some gripes about the whole RSD concept. Not me. It felt good to be around music lovers young and old. Race, gender, or affiliation didn’t matter. The music did. This is the beauty of records. They bring the best out of us if we let them.
We hit our storage after hitting a few other thrift stores and shops to get some organization done and to update some titles, prices and pictures on our website (bookmark www.turntable-city.com already). Taking time to survey everything, by the way, we’ve added more to the collection and thank you to those customers who still sell us their titles…(please email us at turntablecity@gmail.com, if you got some looking for a new home)…
We have come to the realization that records are physical testaments that we can come as we are, put aside our differences and judgements, and just enjoy good music.
Turntable City is simply tilling the ground and preparing for our season.
Kingsley Waring
DJ Kingpin-Villain Of Vinyl
Turntable City
@turntablecity on all social media
#vinyl #records #albums #allinbetween #famscoalition #justkeepspinning #BlackManWinning
